Made in America
by PennyStarling17
Summary: Steve Rogers has spent his life living for the sake of tomorrow and hopes to one day finally fulfill his dream of becoming a famous artist. For now though, he's stuck in a small town as a waiter in a rinky-dink diner with barely enough cash to get by. But everything changes when he meets James Barnes, a man fresh from prison with big plans for his future and a thing for blonds.
1. Chapter 1

Here it is! This took forever to finally write, but I proudly present my Steve/Bucky Bonnie & Clyde AU! (And yes, I mean the musical.)

Lyrics from some of the songs and quotes from the actual production are in here and you can listen to the full soundtrack on youtube, which I highly recommend.

Enjoy!

* * *

Prologue: Picture Show

_Spring, 1918_

"Steve?! Steven Rogers, come on! We're late enough as it is," a young blonde woman took the wrist of a ten year old boy and gently pulled him along.

"I don't want to go," the boy whispered back.

The woman sighed and leaned down to look at her son. "Sweetheart, I know it's hard, but your daddy's in a better place now. Come on." They walked into the church as the funeral started.

Several hundred miles away, a shot sounded.

A young dark haired boy shot at invisible enemies, jumping around as sneakily as any eleven year old could.

"Ain't nothing I can't do with a gun." he nodded to himself as his mother yelled, "James Buchanan Barnes!" She strode over, anger clear on her face.

She shook the dead chicken in his face. "I hope you know how to lay eggs!"

He smirked back at her. "I hope you know how to fry chicken!"

She rolled her eyes at her son and grabbed the rifle. "Go help your pa pack up," she ordered.

He frowned and asked, "Why do we gotta move anyways?"

His father answered grumpily, "Don't own the land and they don't wanna pay me to take care o'it anymore." He shrugged. "You're gonna like West Dallas."

* * *

"But it's the devil's back porch!"

"Steven Grant Rogers! You watch your mouth!"

Steve rolled his eyes. "I didn't give it that name, ma. That's what everyone calls West Dallas. Why can't we stay in Rowena?"

His mother answered without looking at him. "With your daddy gone, we can't afford to. Grandma needs help anyhow, Steve. You know that."

* * *

_Fall, 1924_

"Please be careful, Bucky," Natalie Barnes clung to her elder brother, tears on her lashes.

"Course I will, Nattie." He pulled away and offered her a grin. "I'll be back before you know it."

He put on his hat and pushed her hair behind her ear. "They say the war'll be over before I even get there. Don't you worry, sis. I'll be fine." He hugged her tightly.

She shook slightly as she watched him grab him bag, uniform perfect and shoes shiny. "Love you."

He smiled at her and said, "I love you too."

Then he headed off to war.

* * *

"You are too young to be getting married Steve!"

"I am 16 years old, ma! I can't enlist, but I've got a job. I love Peggy. We're gonna be happy together!"

"Marrying Peggy won't get you out of here!"

* * *

_Summer, 1926_

Natalie swept her red hair back as her eyes darted around the train station, anxiously searching for her brother.

Her lips stretched into a smile when she caught sight of him, though it faded when she looked more closely at him. "Bucky?"

His head rose and he locked weary, tired eyes with her. "Hey, Nattie." He tried to grin, but it mainly just came out as a grimace.

She hesitantly reached out and he pulled her into an embrace. Bucky let out a soft laugh, "You've grown."

She smiled up at him, but didn't comment on the fact that it had been a little over two years since they had last seen each other.

Instead she carefully gripped his arm and murmured, "Come on, let's go home."

* * *

"Steve-" Peggy's brown eyes followed her husband as he paced back and forth from her spot in their bed.

Steve shook his head, refusing to acknowledge what she was saying.

She frowned, fingers toying with her skirt as she pointed out softly, "I'm not gonna make it, Steve."

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath, but he didn't respond to her comment.

She coughed heavily, blood splattering onto her crumpled handkerchief, before murmuring gently, "I love you."

Steve sat down heavily on the bed beside her and placed his head in his hands.

His voice broke as he responded, "I love you too, Peggy."

* * *

"I need to do something, Nat. I can't stand just sitting around!" Bucky paced, every inch of him radiating tension.

Natalie offered, "We could go fishing or-"

"No! I-" Bucky shook his head, raking his hand through his hair. "I need to do something to get my blood pumping." His head shot up suddenly as a dawning expression came onto Natalie's face.

They locked eyes and said together, "Car Jacks."

Car Jacks was a game they had invented when they were young and bored. They would jump start a random car and take it for a joy ride until they came across another. Then they would repeat it again and again until they got caught.

They both stood and eagerly left, Natalie with a grin on her face and Bucky with a dark look in his eye.

* * *

Steve tried to laugh at Tony's joke, but it fell flat.

Tony pursed his lips and stared at him. "We need to do something to get you out of this slump, Steve."

He shook his head, "It's not that simple, Tony."

Tony grinned and said, "I can grab my old man's whiskey and we can get you to forget about you-know-who?"

Steve paused and casted a glance at his friend. After a moment, he nodded. "Why not?"

* * *

_Fall , 1931_

Bucky glared at the judge as the bailiff called out, "James Buchanan Barnes. Natalie Alison Barnes, you been found guilty of one count of burglary and two counts of auto theft. You're both sentenced to serve two years in the McLennan county jail."

Natalie was finger printed and had her pictures taken first with Bucky following, a growing frown on his face.

* * *

Steve sighed as he tied his apron around his waist and grabbed a rag to clean off the counter.

"Hey, Steve!" A grinning Tony Stark came in, his new uniform on.

"Hey Tony." Steve poured him a cup of coffee.

"So, this Saturday some friends of mine are having a party. You wanna come?"

"Sure, Tony."

"Tony!" A stern looking Chester Phillips, Steve's boss, held out a phone. "Call for you."

Tony stood and glanced at Steve. "I'll pick ya up at seven?"

Steve offered a grin. "Sounds good."

He, as always, finished up his shift and headed home, several hours later.

_{I wanna be like Clara Bow.}_

_{I wanna be like Al Capone.}_

* * *

And cut!

I know that the first World War didn't happen in the '20's, but for the purpose of this story, it did. (Hey, it's fan fiction, I can do what I want.)

Hopefully the next chapter will be out within the next week.

Please review!


	2. This World Will Remember Me

I lied. Here's the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter One: This World Will Remember Me

Steve Rogers may not be the smartest guy on the planet, but he's sure as hell not stupid. He'd spent most of his life in his town and he knew he barely had a chance of ever getting out of there but damn it all, he was gonna try.

But it looked like today was just a day where he was going to be late to work.

"Damn it," he muttered as he jerked the of hood of his crappy Ford up, only to be met with a face full of smoke.

He started coughing, vaguely worried about it triggering an asthma attack, and backed away, crook of his arm tight against his face.

When the coughing finally stopped, Steve sat on his hunches, elbows on knees and face in his hands. It was just not his day.

He only looked up when he heard footsteps approach. He stood quickly and gave the newcomer a once over (which may or may not have become a double take).

The man in front of him had dark brown hair, pushed back from his face, and dark blue-gray eyes. He was wearing old, worn overalls and a dirty shirt, with laced up boots encasing his feet.

The man offered a grin as Steve continued to stare. "Car problems?" he asked easily, his hands in his pockets.

Steve offered a dejected nod, head hanging and as his hand rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah," he murmured sheepishly. "I may be the only guy on the planet that never took auto shop."

The man laughed and said, "Let me take a look. Maybe I could fix her and you could give me a lift to West Dallas?"

Steve gave him a questioning look. "You live in the Devil's back porch?"

"For now," he was shot a sly grin.

Steve shook his head and moved closer. "I've never heard of anyone who's moved out of West Dallas."

"Well, now you have." The man offered his hand to Steve. "Name's James Barnes, but you can call me Bucky."

He shook the offered hand, "Steve Rogers."

"Nice to meet'cha, Steve. Now, let's look at what we've got here, huh?" The man- Bucky- released Steve's hand and moved towards the car.

Steve's curiosity got the best of him after a few moments of silence. "What're you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"My car broke down a few miles back," was his reply.

"Where are you movin' to?"

"Where ever I want. Just like Billy the kid."

Steve shot him a look. "Wasn't he an outlaw?"

Bucky looked contemplative for a moment before he shrugged. "Well, I guess he was."

"And wasn't he ambushed and killed by the cops?" Steve's eyes widened.

"He wasn't ambushed. He died an old man in the arms of a young woman," Bucky waggled his eyebrows, hip propped against the car.

"I'm pretty sure he was ambushed."

Bucky straightened, "Look, it don't even matter. Point is, I've got plans and I'm gonna make them come true."

Steve shook his head. "Everyone's got plans."

"Everybody's got dreams. I got plans." Bucky pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. He took a drag before offering it to Steve, who shook his head.

"I'm gonna make a name for myself," he explained, voice almost dreamy. "Do at least three jobs a year. Everyone's gonna know me and you-" Suddenly, he stepped closer to Steve, who looked startled at the sudden change. "Bet you want more than to be some waiter for the rest of your life." He leaned in close and took the apron from Steve's waist. "Bet you've got a plan to do something."

Steve hesitantly offered, "I'm gonna be an artist. Make the billboards and take the pictures for the biggest newspapers. Maybe help design sets for the movies."

Bucky grinned and took another drag, offering it to Steve when he was done. He took it from Bucky's fingers and held it slightly away from himself. "See! I knew there was more to you than meets the eye. You got a look, Steve. We're wasted 'round here! I swear, we're too good for this place. We're not meant to live and die in Texas! I tell ya, Steve, by the time I'm done, you and this whole damn world will remember me." He took the cigarette and stamped it out. Their eyes locked just as a siren begins to blare nearby.

Bucky looked startled, "Shit!" he dived away to hide behind the car while Steve looked towards the speeding cop car.

He turned to look at Bucky. "Were those cops looking for you?"

He shrugged and nodded, "Suppose they are, since I just busted out of jail. Look," he stood from his hiding place and moved closer. "I'm not looking for trouble. You don't gotta worry 'bout me just cause I've been in jail."

"I know plenty of men who've been to jail," Steve said, looking slightly insulted.

Bucky shot him a sharp look. "How many you know who've busted out?"

Steve paused before asking carefully, "Well, what we're you in for?"

"Auto theft, robbery, a few things." Bucky shrugged and grinned. "I like to keep busy."

Steve stared at him, suddenly unsure about talking to him. Seeing this, Bucky quickly said, "So what do you say about that ride to West Dallas?"

He looked at Bucky, a little shocked. "The police are gonna be looking for you!"

"I'll be long gone by tomorrow, I just want to see my folks before I go," Bucky gave Steve a pleading look, eyes wide.

Steve hesitated, weighing his options, before nodding, hoping he wouldn't regret this. "Alright."

_{You and this world will remember me.}_

* * *

Ok, next chapter will be out next week. (Maybe. I'm really just winging it at this point.)

Reviews would be loverly!


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